My research is in the areas of physical organic chemistry and photochemistry. I am looking at how the behavior of fluorescence organic compounds depends on their molecular structures and how they respond to their local environment. In particular I work with prodan (propionyldimethylaminonaphthalene), which is a well known sensor for micropolarity. In polar environments it fluoresces in the red, whereas in apolar ones it glows blue. We are studying whether the mobility of carbonyl and amino groups is critical to its emission and how hydrogen-bonding affects the emission intensity. The ultimate goal is to guide the preparation of molecular sensors.
A fuller description is found on the Research subpage.